LISTEN UP - - Even though AM Taxi may be new to the music scene, they won’t be flying under the radar for very long.  The Chicago based rock band is releasing its debut album titled We Don’t Stand A Chance digitally tomorrow and in stores everywhere June 8^th.  Lead singer Adam Krier’s raspy vocals are a pleasantly distinctively different change from the usual velvety vocals heard on the radio.  AM Taxi leaves no room for disappointment and one listen is all it takes before you will be hooked.  We Don’t Stand A Chance is a brilliant album that is packed with hits, and you don’t have to skip over any bad tracks, because there aren’t any.   “The Mistake” and “Fed Up” are bound to be chart toppers so don’t be surprised when these songs show up in the top 100.  The band is currently on the road with The Spill Canvas and will be heading out on The Van’s Warped Tour 2010 in June.  Pick up some tickets to a show, grab a copy of the new record, and be prepared to find yourself telling everyone how outstanding the AM Taxi is!

        Download: We Don’t Stand A Chance on iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/we-dont-stand-a-chance/id371800943

ACOUSTIC NIGHT - - Watching Christine Martucci play an acoustic show is something that everyone should have the pleasure of experiencing.  She sits center stage holding her acoustic guitar surrounded by devoted fans that have become known as “The Tucci Train.”  She plays just as comfortably without her band behind her and her impeccable vocal range becomes even more obvious without them.  The interaction between Martucci and her train becomes apparently noticeable when she stops singing during “All My Life” and they begin singing the lyrics to her.  She ended her 30 minute set with “There You Are” as fans cheerfully threw dollar bills onto the stage.  When I asked Martucci what started the money throwing tradition she told me that it began about five years ago when while she was playing a show at The Saint in Asbury Park.  “I grabbed my guitar player during that song and started doing a sexy little pole dance on his leg.  (Laughs)  People started tossing money onto the stage and now it has become some sort of tradition.  It’s something that they still continue to do every time I play There You Are.”  All of the money that ends up on stage at the end of the night she donates to charity, so when you go to see Christine Martucci live, don’t be shy about tossing a few dollars at her, it goes to a good cause.

Unfortunately for opening act Mal Blum and her guest Simon Little, it was clear that fans were not there to see them.  She had trouble bringing the focus away from the bar and to the stage.  She even had to stop midway through her set to ask the chatty drinkers to quiet down.  Her performance was more like watching an open mic night and her vocal capabilities did not rank anywhere near her opener Christine Martucci.  To try and bring the crowd’s attention to the stage instead of the bar, Blum made an attempt to talk about the familiar Jersey Shore television show.  When she got no response from the audience she and Little played one last song and said goodnight.  The crowd was just uninterested in Blum’s acoustic guitar and Little’s Banjo/Harmonica playing. 

I didn’t really know what to expect going into Melissa Ferrick’s show.  I did some prior research online and checked out her MySpace page before hand, but was not overjoyed with what I heard.  From the moment Ferrick took the stage, I could not believe this was the same woman I heard on the internet.  The songs posted on her MySpace page do not do her any justice.  I was pleasantly surprised by this indie folk singers strong vocal abilities and the way her fingers seemed to dance gracefully across the fret boards of her guitar.  I could see why she played her shows acoustically.  Ferrick does not need a band to support her and cover up any missed notes or flubbed lyrics.  She is a talented musician and songwriter with no need for accompaniment.  While these slip-ups do sometimes happen, they only make her more real.  Her song lyrics open you to her life and seem disclose everything about her, but she stands confidently under the stage spotlight secure in her own skin. 

Ferrrick played songs off of her past studio albums, a few cover songs, and tracks from her new album Enough About Me due out Tuesday.  The crowded venue sang along when Ferrick covered Radiohead’s “Creep,” but sang even louder and danced around when she played the title track from her third studio album “Everything I Need.”  An hour into her set Ferrick cracks a few jokes about being a lesbian, takes a shot at the Jersey Shore show, in which she gets a great response, and then moves into a song called “Heartbeat.” She says she wrote it after listening to a lot of Jack Johnson and you can hear the influence right from the first few notes. 

She closes out the night with an encore performance of “Drive” but never left the stage like most musicians do.  Why waste the time says Ferrick, you know I’m going to play that song.  After tonight’s show I realized how and why Melissa Ferrick has been around for 15 years.  She can now add my name to her list of fans. 

GOTTA WEAR SHADES - - When the house lights of Asbury Park’s legendary Stone Pony faded to black at 11 o’clock on Saturday night, the deafening crowd grew louder and glowed green.  Local natives Status Green took the stage and were greeted by a sea of fans dressed in glow stick jewelry perfectly reflecting the band’s name.  That night, the group chose to ditch their trademark suits and ties, and gave fans a more intimate experience as they returned to their hometown venue to celebrate the much anticipated release of their new album “Cheap Sunglasses.” 

Status Green tore into their set with Denver After Dawn immediately getting the crowd moving and blissfully clapping along to their unique blend of pop-rock beats and infectious guitar sounds.  The band played not only to a sold out crowd inside the venue, but for those that couldn’t get their hands on a ticket, the show was being streamed live online at justin.tv.  Status Green hypnotized the audience with their energetic and charismatic stage presence as they played songs from their new record and kept fans dancing all night with both old and new material.

It was quite obvious that women were entranced by the bands charming good looks and flawless vocals when they shrieked with delight during Sting My Soul which perfectly showcases how guitarist Chris Marino’s harmonies are the ideal complement to Lou Montesano’s lead vocals.

When drummer Mike Montalto began playing the intro of Juggling Knives the overwhelming roar of the crowd was enough to indicate that it was a fan favorite.  Followers immediately started bopping along to the familiar poppy synths of the captivating tune and took pleasure in the guitar talents supplied by both Marino and Montesano.

“Hey! You! Sneaking in my backdoor.  Hey! You! Always trying to take my 1, 2!” the crowd sang along with Montesano, undoubtedly continuing to enjoying themselves as they chanted back the catchy lyrics of It Ain’t Me and grooved to the thumping bass played by Russell Tolas. 

At the end of the night, the energetic, upbeat live show Status Green put on had fans cheering for more.  The bands brilliant lyrics, impeccable stage presence and memorable music forced the quartet to return to the stage for an encore performance and they ended the night with a cover of Phil Collin’s In The Air Tonight.

Saturday nights sold out show is proof that this promising band is on the rise and will not be unsigned for long. I think it is safe to say that for Status Green, their futures so bright I gotta wear shades…or in this case, Cheap Sunglasses.

For more information on Status Green visit the band’s website at www.statusgreenmusic.com or www.myspace/statusgreen.com

Cheap Sunglasses is Available Now on iTunes